Fakta Aneh about China

Kurang lebih 35 juta Chinese people masi tinggal di dalam gua!In his book “Riding the Iron Rooster: By Train Through China”, Paul Theroux writes, ” There is no government program to remove these troglodytes, but there is a scheme to give them better caves. It seemed to me a kind of lateral thinking. Why rehouse or resettle these cave-dwellers? The logical solution was to improve their caves. That was very Chinese.”[ “Riding the Iron Rooster: By Train Through China”, Paul Theroux, 2001 ]

Mesin otomatis pertama yang menjual KEPITING HIDUP, pertama kali dijalankan pada tahun 2010 di Subway station dekat Nanjing. The machine sells an average of 200 live crabs a day—with prices ranging from 15 to 50 yuan (about $2-7 depending on size). A sign next to the machine guarantees each crab will come out alive, offering compensation of three live crabs for every dead one that pops out.[ Wall Street Journal online “Hard Sell for China Vending Machine?” Oct. 25, 2010 ]

The Chinese have their own Bigfoot–Yeren (“Wild man”) —who is rumored to live in the mountainous forested regions of the remote Hubei province. In 2010, the Hubei Wild Man Research Association—made up of more than 100 scientists and explorers—announced a global recruitment drive seeking members for a high-profile search team.[ Wikipedia “Yeren”; Xinhua News “Chinese to hunt for 'Bigfoot' search team members” October 9, 2010]

The Queue (Manchu pigtail): After conquering China, the non-Chinese Manchurians (Qing Dynasty, 1644-1912) made the hairstyle mandatory for all males. The law was enforced by the death penalty, resulting in the popular slogan of the time: “Keep your hair and lose your head. Or lose your hair and keep your head.”[Wikipedia]

In ancient China, warriors would cannibalize their enemies by eating their heart and liver. It was also sometimes done as both an official punishment and as a private vengence.[ Wikipedia “Cannibalism”; “China's Golden Age: Everyday Life in the Tang Dynasty” C. Benn, 2002 ]

In 2007, a Chinese couple seeking a distinctive name for their child settled on the e-mail ‘at’ symbol (@). A government official cited it as an example of citizens bringing bizarre names into the Chinese language.[ AP News “Bizarre names not where it’s @, China says” Aug. 16, 2007 ]

More than 4,000 Chinese children are named Aoyun, meaning “Olympic Games”, according to Chinese officials in charge of identity cards. It is not uncommon for Chinese children to be given names of common events and popular slogans – such as Defend China, Build the Nation and Space Travel. There are 290,798 registered “Civilizations”.[ BBC News “Chinese babies named 'Olympic Games” June 11, 2008 ]

The ultimate in diva dogs, a miniature pinscher named Lu Lu prefers to walk upright on her back legs while carrying a teddy bear-shaped purse that holds her own waste bags wherever she goes. Her owner taught her to walk upright when she was just four months old. A celebrity in Zhumadian, Henan Province, Lu Lu attracts local fans during her daily walks with her owner every morning.[ The Daily Mail UK “The diva dog Lu Lu which walks on her hind legs and carries her own handbag” Oct. 23, 2010; Weird Asia News]

China has a Dwarf Theme Park called “Kingdom of the Little People” that employs over 100 Chinese dwarves to sing and dance (including breakdancing and Swan Lake). The 13,000-acre and US$115 million park also features tiny dogs and tiny fruit trees.[ The New York Times “A Miniature World Magnifies Dwarf Life” March 3, 2010; ABC News “Chinese Flock to Dwarf Theme Park” April 12, 2010]

China has the world’s biggest mall, … but it’s been 99% vacant since opening in 2005. The New South China Mall in Dongguan (Guangdong province) –spearheaed by an instant noodle billionaire– has seven zones modeled on international regions (Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, Venice, California, Egypt, and the Caribbean). It includes a 25m replica of the Arc de Triomphe, a 2.1km canal with gondolas, and an indoor-outdoor roller coaster.[Source: Daily Mail UK, Wikipedia “New South China Mall” ]